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Guilty Gear X2 #Reload

Spiffy:

Guilty Gear is finally getting online play ...

Iffy:

... but that's the only new feature.

For a series that has had a relatively short life span, Guilty Gear sure has made the rounds. First appearing on the PSone in 1998, it has made its presence known on no less than four systems since. Praised for its super-sharp visuals and solid gameplay, the newest installment in the series has found a new home in the most unlikely of places: the Xbox. Wait, it gets even stranger. Instead of Sammy Studios, Majesco will be doing the publishing honors. Yep, that Majesco.

Although the uninitiated might not be aware of the series' success, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload (pronounced "sharp reload") is one of the most popular fighting games around, garnering a huge fanbase in Japan, while achieving a hardcore following in North America. GGX2 #Reload is essentially an upgraded version of Guilty Gear X2, which saw a release on the PS2 about a year ago, so a large majority of that game is still intact in #Reload.

Aside from the traditional arcade and versus modes, #Reload brings back X2's interesting story mode, where you can choose any character and go through their entire story, complete with cutscenes and sharp voice acting. Each character has multiple branches depending on the outcome of the match and other requirements. For instance, you might have to defeat an opponent within a certain time limit, or use a specific move to finish the match to unlock a certain branch. Some story branches even require you to lose a match in order to progress on a new path. Then there's mission mode, which is designed to hone your skills at the game, as well as bring you to your knees. Each mission will outline every little detail to you, from how much life you start off with (and various attributes for healing and poisoned life bars), the difficulty of the CPU opponent, the time of the round, and what type of attacks cause damage. In one mission you might be forced to only use special attacks, while another will only allow you to deal damage when you nail a 15-hit combo.

What's new with #Reload is the inclusion of a couple of new characters, such as Robo-Ky. A mechanical version of Ky the holy knight, Robo-Ky plays a little differently than the other warriors because he can actually overheat if you make him you fight too aggressively. In order to recover, you have to stay still for a second, or use a special move to cool down instantly. There are also a couple of other new characters, as well as over four different versions of each returning character. Needless to say, there'll be plenty of choices for everyone.

With a new version also comes several revisions, most of which will only be noticeable by the hardcore fans. Minute changes such as Slayer's "Dead On Time" super combo being changed from 120 damage to 140 might fly over the heads of most gamers, but to seasoned veterans, it makes a big difference when it comes to competitive play. Casual players need not fear though, because there's plenty to be excited about. The game still controls wonderfully, even with an Xbox controller. Load times have been shortened slightly compared to the already-speedy PS2 rev, while the graphics look identical. That's a good thing, considering how beautiful this game is.

Of course, the biggest new feature is the Live online play, which will surely be a hit with hardcore and casual alike. Majesco is planning big things for #Reload Live, such as global and weekly player rankings, special filters so that novice players can only see matches aimed at their skill level, and voice chat. On paper, all of this sounds just as good as Tecmo's Dead or Alive: Ultimate, but we'll have to wait a couple of months to see if #Reload will be able to properly execute its online aims.

Although those who own the PS2 version of Guilty Gear X2 might not find a lot of new content in #Reload, the cheap $20 price tag plus online play makes this a much more attractive deal than it might be otherwise. Of course, those who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing this beautiful series will be able to pick up the best version at a mere twenty bucks, and as a huge fan of the series, I think gamers will be getting a steal when #Reload comes out in September.